Jamie Garcia hoping to enjoy game again after rough year

(KSDK Sports) - The Cardinals have never been known as a left-handed pitching mecca. In fact, of the 23 pitchers listed on the Redbirds 40 man roster, just five are lefties. Of those five, only Jaime Garcia is a starter.

The Cardinals need Jaime Garcia. They need him healthy, angry and ready to go Opening Day. With the majority of batters being right-handed, left-handed pitchers quite often stymie their opponents.

The Garcia storyline this Spring Training is interesting because of the way his story ended in 2012. Garcia struggled some in 2012, but when he was on, he was really on. Garcia posted a 3.92 ERA over 20 starts last season but did miss two months with a shoulder strain.

Then suddenly, he was pulled from his start in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Nationals due to continued discomfort. It was later learned that he took the mound, knowing he was hurting. That revelation, in the middle of the postseason, led some to question Garcia's commitment.

But 2013 is a new year, and with that Garcia is ready for a fresh start. He said, 2012 was not a year he enjoyed, but that this season he feels healthy, and is looking forward to learning how enjoy the game of baseball again.

Listen to Jamie in his interview with Rene Knott in the video link above.